Nobel Officials Unsure About When Nobel Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was stolen.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point offer any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Government Stance and Legal Threats

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her relatives are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had earlier informed her followers that she intended to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published tallies suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.